This was my 2nd marathon and although I came into the race by myself I certainly didn't feel alone. All runners I met were super friendly, 'Sisters', 'Girlfriends', 'Canada', 'Socks', 'Pumpkin Lady', 'many first time marathoners' and a special inspiration was a man with 'M75-79 on his back who had run all TCM marathon's, this being his 21st!!!' Music playing along the route, not only bands but many residents played music, including 'YMCA', which at the time I didn't realize when doing the moves made the arms feel so much better...amazing what a little stretching can do! Encouraging words throughout the race, right from those manning the water stations, race officials at the intersections, and the SPECTATORS! Wear a name on your shirt (thanks Michelle for making mine) and you get bonus support. 'You can do it' 'Go Laura', or if they don't see your name they yell out your bib number. A special feeling for me was seeing my son and his friend waving two small Canadian flags beside my sister as they cheered me on along the route! The scenery was beautiful, treelined throughout, as you ran along the lakes and the river, over a couple bridges, starting in Minnesota and finishing in St. Paul's. Felt amazing for the first 20miles..but have to say the incline although not dramatic the next few miles made me feel pretty tough. Thanks again to those spectators...you sure know how to keep a person motivated! Finishing on a decline with the finish line in sight and hearing my name as I crossed the line was overwhelming! I beat my Chicago time by 4 minutes, finishing in 4:27. Woohoo!!!!!! Thanks TCM for a wonderful experience...hope to be back for sure! :)

This was my first marathon, so can't say much in comparison to other races, but I know that I WILL be back next year. The course is mostly residential with great surroundings and scenery. The combination of local residents and race fans made for fantastic support and cheering. It made the miles go by so fast. Being able to warm up in the comforts of the MetroDome was very helpful. The view coming down the hill from the Basilica to the finish in front of the state capital was a great experience.

I've run many marathons and was very impressed with Twin Cities. The spectator support was there the entire course. The 'most beautiful urban marathon' is accurate. The organizers were great. I ran with a pace team and had a blast. This course would be great for first timers or for an experienced runner looking for a PR

The Twin Cities Marathon 2002 was my first marathon. It was one of the most emotional experiences of my life. The spectators carried me when I thought I had nothing left. If you are only going to do one marathon, this is a beautiful one to do. The route is incredible, the lakes and beautiful homes certainly make it the 'Most Beautiful Urban Marathon'. The health expo on Sat. was great, listening to the motivational speakers was inspiring.
If I run another marathon it will be the Twin Cities Marathon. The organization for this race was great. My only comment would be that at the end of the race there could be more Medium shirts rather than XL and L. I had a wonderful time and want to thank everyone involved.

This was my 10th marathon, and without a doubt my most enjoyable. It was extremely well organized, the course was scenic, rolling and fast, and the spectators were the most supportive of any marathon I have run. I've been to Chicago, Pittsburgh, Columbus, New York, and DC, and none compare with the overall experience that I had at the Twin Cities event. I'll be back in 2003!

I cannot imagine ever doing a marathon I will enjoy more than Twin Cities. The course truly is the most varied, distracting and beautiful I've seen. The support staff was friendly, energized and way beyond competent. The fans lining the route - with their dogs and their kids - were a delight. The view of the finish line from atop the final hill almost brought tears to my eyes. I will do this one again and again, and will recommend it to everyone.

This is only my third marathon and I enjoyed everything! The scenery around the lakes and through the neighborhoods helped take my mind off the running. I especially enjoyed all the enthusiastic fans along the route-it definitely kept me motivated to keep going! Many thanks to the volunteers and organizers for making my third race exciting and fun!

This was my second marathon after doing NYC in 2000. TCM is a great point-to-point marathon between Minneapolis and St. Paul.

Registration had no lines, although it is in St. Paul which is about 20 miles away. The Metrodome is open before the start so there are plenty of flush toilets and running water -- what a luxury!

I was told that the crowds were down a bit this year, and certainly it is nothing like NYC, which has people four deep for 26.2 miles. But there are still plenty of spectators.

The course is very flat except for the two mile hill at mile 20.5 It is not a steep hill, but you will definitely slow maybe 15 - 40 seconds per mile depending on your initial pace.

The finsher t-shirts were great this year. Unfortunately, I lost mine, so if you have an XL you want to sell, contact me at marathonrunner@xemaps.com
because I'm paying top dollar.

I was never a runner, never dreamed of being a runner so, 'Why would I want to run 26.2 miles?'

I was encouraged by a friend to train with him for the Twin Cities Marathon 'next September' (2002). I figured I would show him that I couldn't run and gracefully bow out of the challenge. It didn't work. We trained throughout the winter on the treadmill and began running outside in the spring of 2002. I started enjoying running and agreed to submit my registration for the TCM. We continued to train during the summer and early fall with our longest run being 21 miles. Then September 29th came along. We agreed to run together no matter what happened. We set a goal of 4 hours to complete the race, but I started having problems with my Achilles tendon in my left leg. I wanted to continue so we slowed down. I enjoyed the excitement and the spectators were outstanding. We finished the race and plan to train for another marathon in 2004.

The Twin Cities Marathon bills itself as the top urban marathon in the United States and after running in the 2002 event, I don't doubt this moniker for a single moment. The route was absolutely amazing - just when you think it couldn't get any better it did. The volunteers along the way were superb. The spectators - who lined the route from the start line right through to the finish line - were fantastic. My wife and I ran in Canada gear and we were constantly encouraged by cheers of 'Go Canada' from the spectators. The expo was very good with everything and anything a runner could want to purchase. The only negatives of the weekend was the pasta dinner on Saturday and the finish area for the slower runners. The pasta dinner was horrible - one type of pasta and some rubber chicken. For $14 a person the runners deserve more. Runners who took longer than 4:45 to finish also found the finish area to be rather barren. The famous soup broth was gone, and there was nothing else left to eat. And the finishers tee shirts were only available in XL, XXL and medium at this point. Why do runners indicate a tee shirt size on the entry form if they can't be guaranteed of getting the right size. Don't get me wrong though, these are just minor glitches. We were very pleased with the Twin Cities experience and would encourage runners who haven't done this race to enter for the 2003 event.